Figured mirrors made of bronze alloy constitute a typical expression of Etruscan artistic craftsmanship. The object’s function, a reflective surface produced by the careful polishing of the metal, is not quite as interesting as the engraved depictions of documentary value. They have an iconographic and epigraphic style. Some scenes are mythological, and others are depictions of deities, both good and evil. They are symbolic of real-life and mythical scenes with actual and fantasized animals. The inscriptions sometimes make it possible to identify the characters depicted, whether they are deities and heroes of Greek mythical tradition attributed to Etruscan culture or typical Etruscan divine beings and personifications.

TOTAL COST: € 19.552,58 ($ 19,110.69)

Restoration Procedures

Movement of the works
Photographic documentation by the restorer
Circumstantial mechanical cleaning
Possible de-salting washes
Corrosion-inhibiting treatments
Integrations
Final protection

Detail

Adopted By:

The Canada Chapter

Inventory N°: 12283, 12296, 12298, 12662, 12688, 20777, 20780, 39925; 34757; 12246, 12256, 12274, 12279, 12644, 12665, 12686, 20779

Artist: Unknown

Date: 5th-3rd century B.C.

Dimensions: Various

Materials: Bronze

Department:

Etruscan - Italic Antiquities

Curators:

Dr. Maurizio Sannibale

museum:

Gregorian Etruscan Museum

Laboratories:

Metals & Ceramics

Wishbook year: 2023

Mirrors

Unknown

5th-3rd century B.C.

Bronze

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Seventeen Etruscan Engraved Mirrors - Restoration update

The restoration of the collection of 17 artifacts from the gregorian etruscan museum began with a careful archival survey to acquire and process the conservation information already in our possession regarding the artifacts under examination.
It was thus possible to retrieve historical photographic documentation and diagnostic investigations conducted during previous interventions, emerging the extremely fragile nature of the artifacts, affected by microfractures readable by x-ray, not visible to the naked eye. Similarly, the restorers noted the widespread presence of internal porosities, while the nature of the constituent materials is currently under investigation.

Chemical cleaning tests

from a conservation point of view, the 17 artifacts present different conditions, requiring differentiated procedures appropriate to the circumstances. In the presence of active forms of corrosion, restorers will take local action to stabilize the ongoing phenomenon. The use of extraction baths for water-soluble salts has been excluded, at the moment, as a precautionary measure in order not to increase any forms of corrosion in progress.

Due to the technical-stylistic characteristics of the artifacts under examination, the restorers have excluded the use of mechanical cleaning tools that could interfere with the brilliance and formal qualities of the artifacts.
For this reason, chemical cleaning tests are being experimented with chelating products to be applied in different concentrations and at various times in order to define the most suitable intervention methodology. The use of the supporting agent will allow to better circumscribe and to control the area of intervention.